The present invention relates to a containment system for safe performance of laboratory procedures and the like. More particularly but not exclusively, it relates to a bench-top enclosure provided with an air extraction system to protect a user from hazardous materials therein.
In the area of pharmaceutical research and development, the drugs, reagents and intermediate products employed in the laboratory are becoming increasingly potent and potentially hazardous. Not only do chemical reactions need to be carried out in fume hoods or the like, but instrumentation increasingly often needs to be enclosed to prevent analysts and other workers coming into contact with hazardous materials while operating the instrumentation.
A common solution to this problem is the use of bench-mounted containment systems to hold anything from balances to advanced analytical apparatus, thus protecting the analyst or other worker. Conventionally, instrument enclosures for such equipment are provided with air extraction arrangements. Air is drawn in through a frontal opening of the enclosure and exhausted, with treatment where necessary, through the rear of the enclosure. Ideally, a smooth laminar air flow from front to rear of the enclosure is required. This prevents dust and/or vapours escaping through the frontal opening, particularly when a user stands by the opening to manipulate equipment within the enclosure; a laminar flow with minimum turbulence reduces the risk of fine powders becoming spilt or entrained in the airflow. Turbulent flow can also interfere with the operation of sensitive equipment, such as analytical balances. It is customary to draw air through a baffle into a plenum chamber mounted at the rear of the enclosure, prior to extraction into an exhaust system, in order to help to control and direct the air flow. However, existing systems of this type have drawbacks.
Such baffle and plenum arrangements occupy significant volumes within the enclosure. For example, a standard exhaust port fitting may be 100 to 150 mm in diameter, so a plenum in excess of 150 mm deep is used. A typical laboratory bench is 750 mm in depth. As a result, the plenum and baffle significantly affect the usable volume within the enclosure and the “footprint” of the enclosure on the bench-top, where space is frequently at a premium. It would thus be beneficial to save space on air extraction arrangements.
It would also be beneficial if such enclosures were easier to clean, either routinely or following a contamination episode.
It is hence an object of the present invention to provide an enclosure adapted to hold laboratory equipment and hazardous materials that obviates the above problems and provides some or all of the benefits referred to above.